Disk drives are commonly used to store large amounts of data in a readily available form. Typically, the primary components of a disk drive are a head disk assembly and a printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) which, when fixed to one another, form a functional unit that is then connected to a computer.
The steady demand for larger capacity drives has resulted in a multifold increase in the data storage capacity of each disk in a disk drive. This increase in capacity, however, has caused a corresponding increase in the process time to perform the multiple scan passes required for defect detection and management. This increase in the cycle time to find all the major and minor defects has in turn increased the cost of production of the disk and that of the overall disk drive.
Currently, one approach to reduce the cycle time is to reduce the number of scan passes used to detect defects. This approach, however, increases the risk of missing some of the latent defects that may later surface due to environmental stress when the disk drive ultimately becomes operational.
Accordingly, what is needed is a more effective method for reducing the cycle time associated with detecting defects in a disk drive.